How To Select The Right Probiotic For You

The passage to good health is paved with a healthy gut. If your gut flora is disrupted, it will make way for unfriendly microbes to enter and take over, resulting in all sorts of health issues. An unhealthy gut can lead to many allergies, auto-immune disorders, weight gain, skin problems like acne and rashes, hormonal imbalances, severe fatigue, weight fluctuations, and numerous mental health issues. One of the most effective ways to balance out your gut is by adding probiotic s to your diet. In this article, let’s look at how to select the best probiotic for your gut.
What are probiotics?
probiotic s are live microorganisms such as yeast or bacteria that live in the gut and are known for their many health benefits, including boosting the immune system, warding off infections, reducing the population of harmful bacteria in the gut, and improving the strength and thickness of the intestinal lining. One way to repopulate your gut with good bacteria is to include the right kind of foods cultured and fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, pickled vegetables, kimchi, miso, and kombucha, or take probiotic s in supplement form.

How to choose the best probiotic supplement for you?
From the plethora of options available in the market, which probiotic to choose is a question that often crosses our mind. If you decide to go in for probiotic supplements, you need to get clearance from a medical practitioner for doing so. There are certain things that you need to keep in mind before selecting a probiotic supplement. That is because different health issues call for different probiotic s. For instance, probiotic strains that are likely to reduce the symptoms of constipation include S. cerevisiae, B. longum, and a combination of L. reuteri, L. plantarum, L. acidophilus, B. animalis and L. rhamnosus. On the other hand, probiotic strains like Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, and Lactobacillus bulgaricus may help improve symptoms of diarrhea. Which probiotic is good for you, depends primarily on your underlying health condition.
You want to be certain that the supplement you have chosen contains live strains of bacteria or yeast and that these strains are alive at the time of use and not just at the time of the manufacture. Take a few moments to check the label carefully before purchasing it. Additionally, check for the following points before you choose the best probiotic supplement for you.

References:
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- Hemarajata P, Versalovic J. Effects of probiotics on gut microbiota: mechanisms of intestinal immunomodulation and neuromodulation. Therap Adv Gastroenterol. 2013;6(1):39-51. doi:10.1177/1756283X12459294 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3539293/)
- Mezzasalma V, Manfrini E, Ferri E, Sandionigi A, La Ferla B, Schiano I, Michelotti A, Nobile V, Labra M, Di Gennaro P. A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial: The Efficacy of Multispecies Probiotic Supplementation in Alleviating Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome Associated with Constipation. Biomed Res Int. 2016;2016:4740907. doi: 10.1155/2016/4740907. Epub 2016 Aug 9. Erratum in: Biomed Res Int. 2019 Apr 9;2019:9042956. PMID: 27595104; PMCID: PMC4993960. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27595104/)
- Sazawal S, Hiremath G, Dhingra U, Malik P, Deb S, Black RE. Efficacy of probiotics in prevention of acute diarrhoea: a meta-analysis of masked, randomised, placebo-controlled trials. Lancet Infect Dis. 2006 Jun;6(6):374-82. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(06)70495-9. PMID: 16728323.(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16728323/)
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